(I'm Begging You to) Keep on Haunting
by riptidedauntlessgryffindor
Summary: "...he swore he could see something moving in the shadows." AU where Will is sent to take photos of an old burned-down asylum, and Nico is the ghost that haunts him. Six-part story, currently on part six, meaning it's complete! Solangelo. Enjoy, and please review!
1. I Was as Pure as a River

**Author's note-**

 **This is a Solangelo AU based off Halsey's song, "Haunting".** **I recommend you listen to the song on repeat while reading this, but you don't have to. It's a good song, though.**

 **This will be about six chapters long, so stay tuned! Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

 **-SOS**

 **One: I Was as Pure as a River**

At the age of seventeen, Will Solace was supposed to be doing something productive with his life during the summer, not sitting in an "Expressing Yourself Creatively" class with teenagers his age and younger. His father, who was really into art and music, had forced Will into taking the class in the hopes that he would also love the arts as much as the older man. Needless to say, as Will stared out the window wishing the class would be over, it was not working to his father's wishes.

"William Solace!" the teacher shouted, breaking the boy's longing looks of freedom, and making him turn and look at her instead. "You need to pay attention. We're picking our final projects, and you're the only one left!"

"Sorry, Ms. Dare," Will replied meekly, fiddling with his backpack strap. "I was just… I don't know."

"Well, we have some groups of people made up already," Ms. Dare said excitedly, her red hair bouncing as she spoke. "Kayla, Liam, and Ari are doing a musical project; if you want you can join them?"

"No, I don't really think music is my thing," Will replied. "What else is there?"

"Austin, Victoria, and Michael are doing paintings to express themselves creatively," Ms. Dare explained, smiling at the other students as she pointed at them. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Um… I can do photography?" suggested Will lamely. "I don't know."

"That's a good idea," Ms. Dare encouraged him, patting him on the back. "Now, you'll need to make your choice of subjects or landscapes very special, to express yourself. What do you think you'll do?"

"I'll think about it," Will replied. "Can I sleep on it? I'll come back tomorrow with the decision made."

"Okay," said Ms. Dare, and nodded at him. "I'm very proud of you for agreeing to do this. I know it wasn't your idea to be here, so it's nice that you are deciding to be creative."

"Thanks," Will said, and waited for the class to be dismissed as he went back to his normal routine of staring out of the window.

Finally, he got home, and when he got there, his mom was on the phone as usual. Since he was bored, he actually listened to her conversation as she talked.

"No, I would not consider donating a small amount of money to the fund," she was saying to the person on the other end. After rolling her eyes, she said, "How would fixing up the asylum benefit me in any way?"

Asylum? What asylum? Will was now paying full attention to her as she said, "My family would rather not. I'm sorry, but goodbye." She hung up the phone, leaving Will disappointed not to learn more.

"So, what was that all about?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could. "You looked pretty annoyed."

"Oh, nothing. Just some guy who wanted us to donate money to the half-burned asylum down the road on Raven Hill. They want to fix it up, but I don't see how that will help our life at all," she said, exasperated. But she managed a weak smile anyway. "So, how was your class?"

"Well…" As he racked his brain to find one thing good about the class, an idea blossomed in his head. "We're starting our final projects today. And I'm going to take pictures at the old asylum for my assignment."

 _And it's not going to be scary at all,_ he thought to himself nervously.


	2. Now I Think I'm Posessed

**Author's note-**

 **Here's part two! Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews on this! Tell me what you think of this chapter, okay?**

 **-SOS**

 **Two: Now I Think I'm Possessed**

"Let me just get this straight… You want to camp out at the asylum, _overnight_ , and take pictures?" Ms. Dare, who was always so composed and calm, was getting worked up over Will's suggestions. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

"N-no," stuttered Will. He hadn't been planning on camping out, but now that he thought about it, it would give him some serious street cred. He had never been popular, but if he camped out at the creepiest place in town… Well, it just might help his social status.

"You don't believe in ghosts, but are you scared of them?" Ms. Dare asked, but before she gave him a chance to answer, she said, "Whatever. It's your project. You are excused from class tomorrow and the next day so that you can complete your project."

"Great," Will said, "I'll try to have fun."

The next day, Will packed his sleeping bag, a box of cereal to eat, and a water bottle. He also took his camera, complete with a waterproof cover and different types of flashes. He hugged his mom good-bye and told her he'd be back the next day. She just nodded.

As Will hiked up the hill to the abandoned, half-burned building, he snapped a few shots on his camera. It was actually really beautiful in the daytime, he thought as he reached the first wall. As soon as he reached the wall, he realized it was slowly falling down, so he walked around it and over to the back.

It was darker over by the back, because of the shadows cast by the walls and the broken fences. Will took a few more pictures, this time with a flash, and as the light illuminated the corners of the wall, he swore he could see something moving in the shadows.

Just an animal, he reassured himself, but anxiety took over. What if it _was_ an animal…with rabies? What if this was the last day he lived? What if Ms. Dare was right? What if ghosts _were_ real?

"H-hello?" he started nervously. "I-is anyone there?"

 _Hello._

That was just the wind, Will told himself. The wind through the trees. But he knew he was lying. There was no wind, and there were no trees close by. So who was talking?

 _My name is Nico di Angelo. I died when the asylum burned down._ The voice began to laugh slightly. _You could say that I'm crazy._

"I wouldn't know that, necessarily," Will countered. He didn't know where the confident feeling was coming from, but somehow he was talking to a ghost. "You could be someone who worked there."

 _Do you really think I worked there? Everyone who worked there escaped before the fire completely started. Only the crazies stayed._ The voice was getting closer, and to Will, it almost felt like it was going through his ears and into his head.

"So… Are you the only one left?" Will asked, shaking his head as if to clear it. It didn't work. Instead, his brain only got more fuzzy. "Are you doing this to me?"

 _No, beautiful, you're doing it to yourself. I'm just controlling you._

"What? Are you even real?"

 _You are. And that's what counts. I can possess you, but you can't possess me. Do you like it?_

Will didn't answer. He just sat down on a rock and began to think about what to do.

 _Don't worry, love. You'll get used to it eventually._

"You mean I'm possessed for life?"

 _All will be revealed in time, my dear friend. All will be revealed..._


	3. You've Got Your Own Mistakes

**Author's note-**

 **Hey, guys! Keep being awesome, and enjoy this chapter!**

 **-SOS**

 **Three: You've Got Your Own Mistakes**

A few minutes later, Will stood up. "Okay, listen, if you're just going to go and possess me, then I'm going to leave. See you around, Neeks."

 _Don't call me that! I am pure evil, not some adorable little animal._ The voice of Nico di Angelo accidentally squeaked at the end, ruining the threatening effect. Will laughed slightly, and the voice buzzed even more in his brain. _Don't laugh at me!_

"Sorry," Will said, composing himself. "It's just that I've never seen you, and a voice fluttering around inside my head isn't really scaring me enough to not laugh at you."

 _You don't want to see me,_ Nico warned. _You might die of fright._

"At least I'd get a good picture," Will countered. "Stay still. I promise it won't hurt."

 _Okay, I'm ready._ Will snapped a picture and looked at it. He smiled, actually smiled, when he saw the ghost in person. In person? He wasn't alive, so 'in spirit' sounded much better.

Nico di Angelo was super short, only about as tall as the average sixth-grader. He had the darkest black hair Will had ever seen, and eyes as dark as could be without leading straight into his soul. His skin was pale, like a vampire's, and he wore a torn black shirt over brown pants. But all in all, he was pretty cute, for a ghost coming from a burned insane asylum.

 _You think I'm cute? I am a freaking ghost! I'm pretty sure it's illegal to fall in love with a ghost._

"I'm not...falling in love with you," Will said awkwardly. "Can't I appreciate a cute guy when I see one?"

 _Not when that 'cute guy' is dead! Plus, you wouldn't like me if you knew what I've done._

"What have you done?" Will asked, now interested. "After all, you aren't here for nothing."

 _I killed three people._

Will's silence was not a shock to Nico, so he continued to explain. _Well, I killed two people, but it was my fault for the third person. I killed my sister Bianca, and my ex-crush Percy Jackson. His girlfriend Annabeth killed herself, but only because I'd killed Percy._

"Let me get this straight… I'm talking to a murderer?"

 _You're not scared of me?_

"You're just a ghost. What can you do to me?"

 _This._ And with one snap of Nico's fingers, Will felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He doubled over, coughing, and nodded.

"Okay, you win," he managed to choke out. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. Tell me more about those people."

 _You really want to know?_

"I've got nothing better to do. Go on, tell me!"

 _Percy Jackson dated my sister when they were both fifteen. Percy contracted the Flare, a deadly virus at the time, but he was cured. Not my sister, though. He gave the virus to my sister, and she was going to die a slow and painful death. So I killed her. It was better off that way._

"Wow," Will said slowly. "Then what happened?"

 _That idiot Percy found out about Bianca, and he tried to comfort me. But by then he had moved on from Bianca, and was dating a girl named Annabeth. I couldn't believe he had gotten over someone as amazing as my sister so quickly. So I poisoned him. And then I got sent here._

"Did Annabeth kill herself before or after that?" Will asked. "And did she know you were the one who killed her boyfriend?"

 _To this day, I'm still not sure,_ Nico said sadly. _That's why I still haunt these grounds, looking for an answer._

"That's okay," Will said. "I still think you're cute."

Nico just sighed.


	4. I've Got a Boyfriend Now

**Author's note-**

 **Hey, guys! I admit I've been a little...well, let's just call it sparing...with my updates. I'll try to get back on schedule, if I can. Thanks for all the support!**

 **-SOS**

 **Four: I've Got a Boyfriend Now**

"You know," started Will, "the people in my class would be really amazed if you came back with me. Like, they would think you're cool. Maybe they could help you find the answers you're looking for?"

 _Will,_ Nico said, shocking the blonde boy that the ghost even knew his name, _you do realize that I am a ghost. Not everyone can see me. Only people who believe in ghosts can see me._

"How come I can see you, then?" Will asked. "I've never believed in anything that isn't real."

 _Now see, there's the problem. I don't know why you can see me. Maybe because someone thought you needed a little excitement in your life. Maybe because you really do believe in ghosts, deep down inside. Or maybe–_

"Do you believe in soulmates?" Will wondered out loud, suddenly interrupting Nico.

 _Soulmates? No, I can't say I do._

"I wasn't sent here for no reason. You didn't appear in front of me for no reason either. Do you believe in soulmates now?"

 _Are you… Did you just… Okay, listen, Will, I know you're a lovestruck teen, but you–_ here he jabbed a ghostly finger into Will's heart– _are not falling in love with a dead murderer!_

Will froze when Nico touched him. It felt like his heart had turned frozen at Nico's touch, and he staggered backwards. "What...what did you just do?"

 _I don't know,_ Nico replied. _But your hair is really nice-looking._

"You touched my heart," Will concluded. "You're falling in love with me too!"

 _It's illegal to date a dead person. I'm pretty sure you'd go to jail for this._

"Whatever," Will said, and grabbed at the air until Nico's body melted into his. Literally. Since Nico was just a spirit, he didn't have any mass, so when he tried to kiss Will, he just surrounded him in a silver light. But they kissed anyway. Long, slow kisses until the day turned to night and Will stepped away.

 _Leaving so soon?_

"I promise you I'll come back. Just stay here, and I won't let you down."

Of course, when Will left, he forgot all about poor Nico, trapped as a ghost of a burned-down insane asylum. Instead of coming back, he went on with his life, even going as far as to visit a party, like a high school party. It didn't go well from there.

"So, Emily," Will said slyly at the party to the beautiful chestnut-haired girl standing in front of him, "do you want to dance?" Basically, he was really bad at flirting. But Emily nodded.

"Let's dance!"

And as Will danced, he forgot everything that had ever happened all the days before, because Emily was beautiful in that silver dress and even more beautiful with it off.

* * *

 _You were supposed to come back_ , Nico's voice said, waking Will up with a jolt. _You left me here._

"How...how can I hear you?" Will whispered, so as not to wake the sleeping body of Emily next to him. "I thought you were only at the asylum."

 _You made a promise. And when you don't keep your promise, life gets ugly._

"I'm sorry. I'll come right away. Are you there right now?"

 _It's too late to apologize. It's too late!_

"Are you singing OneRepublic?"

 _What? No! Just go away._

But Will couldn't live his life knowing that Nico was just out there, trying to find his answers, so he left Emily, sleeping alone, to go home and pack for another camping trip.


	5. I Came Here so You'd Come for Me

**Author's note-**

 **Hey guys. Thanks for all the support! You guys are amazing! Keep being awesome!**

 **-SOS**

 **Five: I Came Here so You'd Come for Me**

"Nico di Angelo, I swear, if you don't show your face…" Will didn't finish. He couldn't finish. He knew that what he had done was wrong, cheating on his dead boyfriend after promising he would come back. But he was ready to admit his wrongs and be forgiven.

 _You thought you could come crawling back, didn't you, Solace?_ Nico's voice cut through the silence of the abandoned asylum. _Well, good luck with that._

"I'm sorry," Will said. "I didn't mean to." But knowing he sounded like a whiny kindergartener, he quickly shut up and tried a new tactic: "Nico, you already touched my heart, literally! You can't just ignore me."

 _Um, I…_ Nico stuttered. _I don't accept your apology!_

"Listen, I came here for you and I'm trying to right my wrongs!" Will exclaimed. "Can you please say you forgive me? I don't want the ghost of an insane asylum haunting me for the rest of my life."

 _Sounds a bit harsh when you put it like that,_ Nico said grumpily.

Will held back a smile. "Really, I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me, please. I got full credit for my project on photography because of you."

 _You didn't have any pictures of me, right?_ Nico's cold aura tickled Will's spine.

"It was weird, actually," Will said, remembering what had happened. "It was kind of like a lenticular picture, the one I took of you. If you titled it at the right angle, your full body came up for the shortest of milliseconds. People in my class swore it was haunted."

 _Cool,_ Nico replied, nodding. _But I don't forgive you._

"But why not? What do you need me to do, so that you do?" Will looked genuinely concerned that he wasn't going to be forgiven. Nico almost laughed.

 _Why do you want to be forgiven?_ Nico changed the subject almost abruptly. _Tell me and maybe I will._

"I think we're soulmates," Will said, and it literally felt like all the trees stopped blowing in the wind and the birds stopped flying through the air. All was quiet and still. He said it again: "I think we're soulmates."

 _Not forgiving you, ever._ Nico's voice had suddenly become sharper, like he was angry.

"Is it because of the whole 'soulmates' thing?" Will asked softly. "Because I know you're into boys, like me. You can't pull that excuse. Plus, there was a second before where you called me beautiful."

 _I can't lose everyone I love,_ Nico said, swallowing hard. _Go home._

"You're not going to lose me," Will started, but then he nodded. "It's something to do with your ghost powers, isn't it? You can sense something about me."

 _Don't be cliché,_ was Nico's only response.

Shaking his head, Will said, "Not going to. I promise I won't ask what happens to me in the future, like every fictional hero who finds someone who knows their destiny does."

All was silent. Nico didn't move or speak except to say, _Go home, and I'll forgive you._

"We're soulmates, though! You can't just do that!" Will shouted, not caring about how loud he was.

 _You can't just cheat on me if we are!_ Nico exclaimed. _Go home._

And with that, the smaller, younger in age but not in years boy, disappeared.

 **I have one last question: Should I kill Will in the end of this story? I'm thinking about it. Tell me your opinion, please.**


	6. Keep on Haunting

**Author's note at the bottom.**

 **Six: Keep on Haunting**

"Will, are you even listening to me?" His mom stood in front of her son where he had been sitting and moping around for days. "I'm asking you about the asylum!"

He looked up. "What? What's the matter with the asylum?"

"They're tearing it down," she said simply. "I've been trying to tell you since yesterday, but it's happening today and I figured since you go there so often, you'd want to know." She looked at him, and seeing the sudden change of expression on his face, from sad to heartbroken, softened her gaze. "Is something wrong, Will? You've been so distant lately."

"I'm fine," Will said quickly, standing up and slipping his shoes on. "I'll be back in a few hours. I'm going to the asylum." And without waiting for his mother to reply, he raced out the door.

As soon as he was close to walking up the hill that lead to the asylum, he heard Nico's voice in his head. _Can you please just leave me alone?_

"No," muttered Will, making it to the top of the hill. "I will not leave you alone. Did you know the asylum's getting–" He stopped when he saw the asylum. A wrecking ball was on one side of it, and men were standing near the wrecking ball.

 _I know it's getting demolished. I'm glad. Nothing left to hold me down to the Earth anymore._ Nico laughed, a dry, humorless laugh. _No one will miss me, or care. Technically I'm dead already._

"Stop it," Will whispered. He snuck around the back of the asylum so that nobody could see him. Once he reached the wall, he found the small opening and climbed inside the ruins. "Stop being like this," he said once he was sitting on a piece of wall that had fallen into the center of the burnt building. "You need to realize that people make mistakes. I said already, I'm sorry!"

 _And I already said it's too late,_ Nico shot back. _Why are you even here? They're about to break down the building. You want to live, don't you? Get out._

"I don't want to live with you mad at me," Will said softly. "How many times do I have to apologize?"

 _I thought for once someone actually liked me,_ Nico murmured. _I should be the one apologizing for being stupid enough to have hope._

"Nico. You are not stupid, okay?" Will frowned, but before either of them could say anything, they heard a rumbling noise, and then a shadow loomed overhead. The crane truck with the wrecking ball had moved closer, and was trembling with energy.

 _You should really leave now._ Nico's voice took on a warning tone. _Will, you have got to go._

"I'm not leaving until you accept my apology." Will was stubborn. "Even if it means I die."

 _I'm a murderer. Do you think I care about one less person being on the Earth?_ Nico didn't look so convinced of what he was saying, though. _I mean it!_ he exclaimed when he caught Will glancing at him suspiciously.

"I'm sorry," Will said over and over as the wrecking ball started to swing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm–"

The wrecking ball cut off his voice with a loud _crunch!_ of ball into wall. When it swung back break some more walls down, all that was left of Will was lots of blood and a crushed human-shaped figure on the ground. The presence of Nico's soul was gone also. The place was free of inhabitants, whether they be spiritual or physical.

It is up to anyone to determine the fate of the two boys. Not much can be said about either of them.

One was blond and apologetic. The other was raven-haired and unforgiving.

They fell in love. Or did they?

Completely up to you.

 **Author's note-**

 **...and that's a wrap, guys! I hope you liked it. If you're not satisfied with the ending, I could post a bonus chapter. That's a possibility.** **Keep reviewing and reading my other stories! And keep being amazing people!**

 **-SOS**


	7. Bonus: I'm Begging You

**Author's note-**

 **Hi! Sorry I haven't updated in forever, but... Life. Here's the bonus chapter I promised. In other news, HashtagMC wrote an alternate ending to this story. It's really cool, so check it out! It's in my favorite stories if you can't find it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to check out my other stories if you have time. Hope you like it!**

 **-SOS**

 **Bonus Chapter: I'm Begging You...**

"Okay, listen!" That was the first thing he heard as the world—or wherever he was—started to come into focus. But how could Will listen when he could barely see? He opened his mouth to tell the other voice that, but a hand covered it before he could speak. "Listen to me," the voice said. Will recognized it from somewhere. He tried to remember, and then realized he had a splitting headache.

"My head hurts," Will grumbled through the hand. "Why?"

"I said, _listen to me._ " A face swam into view. It had dark hair and darker eyes. Will could barely make it out, but he did know whose it was. He just didn't know the name of the person. "Do you remember anything that happened in the past month or two?" the person said. "Do you remember your family? Your mom?"

"My...mom?" Suddenly everything came crashing back to Will. The project. The asylum. The ghost. The party. That girl. The ghost. His mom. The wrecking ball. The ghost. Nico. _The ghost._

 _Nico._

"I'm sorry," Will muttered. "I really am sorry."

"And now you're dead. And it's my fault. I don't want to be the murderer of the one person who actually cared about me." Nico's face was paler than usual, and his eyes looked like he had been crying. "I should be apologizing to you."

"How long was I out?" Will asked, changing the subject. It was clear he wanted to avoid the topic of his death for as long as possible. He was hoping not to face reality. But he would have to sometime.

"Eh, a couple days," Nico said. " _Why?"_

Will knew the question didn't mean _why do you ask_? He knew the meaning was deeper: Why did you die for me? Nico was asking the one question Will wasn't prepared to answer. Not just yet, anyway. "I–" He couldn't speak as a wave of sobs washed over him. He had begun to let his mind wander, and that wasn't good considering the circumstances. He was thinking of his mom, what she would do without him. Thinking of Nico, and if the younger boy would choose not to stay with him. Overwhelmed with the events of the past few days, Will cried.

"Stop!" hissed Nico. "I can't deal with it when people cry."

"You hate me already," Will choked out. "It's not going to make any difference whether I cry or not."

"I _don't_ hate you, though! That's the problem," Nico yelled. "Sorry for yelling. But Will, it's not that simple. You'd find it hard falling in love with a dead person, wouldn't you?" He was silent as the blonde boy processed this.

"And you'd find if hard falling in love with a live person, is that it?" Will had stopped crying. He was now staring at Nico, appalled. "Because if that's the problem, it isn't anymore. I'm dead."

"We're soulmates," Nico said flatly. "And I'm sorry for not accepting that earlier."

"I'm not sure what you mean," Will said slowly. "Are you telling me you actually do love me? And that we can be together even though we're dead?"

"Yes," Nico said. A tear rolled down his face and he wiped it away, embarrassed. "I just wish it didn't have to turn out this way."

"Well, I'm glad it did," Will said, putting an arm around Nico. He kissed away the younger boy's tears. With every kiss, he muttered a word. Finally, Nico got the message:

"I'm begging you to keep on haunting."

And he would keep on haunting.


End file.
